(Hang on, I’m going on a small rant.)
I read an article today reporting how the coal producing energy business was going to be phased out of the great Northwest within five years. No more coal energy will be available to power our homes, businesses, government, etc. This was encouraged in part by the eco-activists and the governing factors of the NW states.
It was a highly informative article as it described coal energy as an uninterrupted, always ready energy source. Basically when you flick on your lights, your lights will always come on. Natural gas is also a reliable source. Unlike wind, solar and batteries.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I agree coal is dirty. But, how can you phase this out in five years and yet have no where near the reliability from any other source to put in place? As stated in the article, the people at the top of the industry truly have no idea how this will play out in five years. Will we have blackouts, will we only be able to run appliances at certain times of the day, will we have lights at all? THEY DON’T KNOW.
You know who also doesn’t know? The general public. In discussing this subject with friends and colleagues I have come to the conclusion the general public has no clue about what is coming. Why?
1. The news conglomerations have a decidedly one sided point of view and will not report on anything that does not fall in line with that.
2. People are too busy to delve into alternate news sources to find these things out.
3. People in general don’t care about tomorrow, only about today. Oh, I take that back. Some special interest groups care very much about their version of tomorrow. That’s how we’ve gotten in this mess in the first place.
But what I really want to write about is the problem of “sheepelness.” No, not sleepiness, although that somehow applies to the problem. I refer to people who form their opinions by listening to family members, friends, colleagues, celebrities, one sided news sources, (either side of the political spectrum), and people they meet on the street. These folks are not interested in studying the issue from both sides, researching other opinions and facts and/or having any meaningful conversations with people who differ from themselves.
Did our educational system somehow miss teaching critical thinking? Was thinking for oneself over looked? How are we now a society who votes with no knowledge of the nuances of the candidate and/or issue. The news media or a celebrity says to vote for a person and that’s good enough for us. Never mind that the politics of said person is of questionable origins. Never mind that the politics will lead us into undefined waters. Never mind that we may not be able to turn on our lights in five years.
Is it really possible that the only things that matter to the American public are their cell phones, Amazon Prime and Yahoo news? What a state we are in. How are we to teach our young to think outside the box when all we have given them are the principles of “If you don’t agree with the loudest voices, you are wrong.” The loudest voices are not usually the majority, they are just the loudest.
I can’t imagine this country in the next few years but I’m very afraid I will be around to see it. We are going the way of all great ideas that through corruption, conniving and hubris faded into history only to be read about in old, dusty history books.
Okay, rant over. Now I’m just sad.
magicalmess 